Profile

The ILS- Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development is a non-university research institute for the spatial sciences. The Institute is committed to analysing the causes and consequences of new urbanisation processes and the urban future, adopting an interdisciplinary and internationally comparative perspective.

The ILS has taken on the core research competences of the former ILS NRW, which it is now driving forward. The Institute’s activities cover the entire spectrum ranging from theory- and concept-driven fundamental research (with a strong empirical orientation) to application-oriented and academically underpinned consultancy services. As a research institution, the ILS generates and processes new knowledge within the framework of research and development projects, it organises forums and events, publishes the findings of research studies and is actively involved in various research networks. The Institute regards itself as a hub linking a diverse array of networks in the fields of spatial and built environment research in North Rhine-Westphalia, but also at the national and European levels, especially through its partnerships with universities and other renowned research bodies.

The ILS is funded primarily by the Ministry for Building and Transport of the State of NRW with the long-term goal of acceptance for combined Federal/state research funding.

The ILS is based in Dortmund and maintains an office in Aachen.